Belo Corp. Offers Candidates Free Airtime (Belo Corporation)

Belo Corporationís "Itís Your Time" will provide congressional and gubernatorial candidates free air time for the ninth consecutive election cycle. In each of the six weeks before the general election, news stations will air at least one hour of political coverage. The debates with local, state and federal candidates will also run on multicast channels. Station websites will host archives of debates and interviews, candidate issue statements, e-town meetings and voter registration information. Belo will promote its smartphone and iPad apps and Facebook and Twitter conversations. Candidates get five minutes of free airtime: four to address voters and one to answer questions. In 2010, Beloís "Itís Your Time" provided 151 candidates with more than 18 hours of free airtime. "Belo has a long-standing commitment to providing robust election coverage that helps create an informed electorate in the local communities we serve," said Peter L. Diaz, Beloís president, media operations.